AmeriCorps*VISTA - Ware Institute @ F&M

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AmeriCorps*VISTA - also referred to as the domestic Peace Corps - is a year long commitment to service focused on bringing individuals and communities out of poverty by building capacity in non-profit organizations. The F&M VISTA will work primarily with the Refugee Center and Community School at Reynolds (RCCSR) - a public middle school located close to F&M's campus. The RCCSR serves as a hub for refugees and immigrants to access various services and supports as well as a community school that offers an after-school program available to all Reynolds students and partners with an on-site health center open to the entire community.

The VISTA will work to further develop systems and procedures to improve the effectiveness and impact of volunteers at the Refugee Center & Community School at Reynolds (RCCSR). In particular, the VISTA will develop and implement a volunteer management process for the new Welcoming Schools (WS) orientation program. Volunteers will need to be recruited and trained and systems will need to be developed to ensure critical health and wellness services are utilized by refugee families. Additionally, the VISTA will develop outreach systems to expand awareness of and access to health related services offered at the RCCSR for the entire Reynolds community (not just refugee families). Finally, the VISTA will work with the team at RCCSR to improve communications with the Reynolds staff and the staff of the SELHS health center so that systems and services are better integrated.